A Brother's Confidence
by Jedi Jesi Jiin
Summary: Luke tells Han about his relationship with Vader.


**A Brother's Confidence**

_**A/N1:**__ This is a sequel of sorts to "Like the Moon" by __**I Love Dance**__._

_**A/N2: **__Star Wars belongs to Lucasfilm._

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Deep in the forest of Endor rested an Ewok village, which was chalk full of exhausted, yet exuberant Rebels. Yesterday the Alliance had managed a great victory over the Empire by destroying the second Death Star. And even after the festivities of the previous evening, the party still raged, only stopping to allow the revelers some rest.

Han Solo stood back, Leia in his arms, and watched the scenes play out with Rogues engaging in drinking games, Ewoks dancing – still – and others simply standing around talking about the previous day and other things.

Han scanned the area half heartedly, counting the familiar faces he spotted among the crowd. Lando Calrissian was talking with Chewbacca and Wedge Antilles, his hands gesturing in a wild fashion.

Han glowered at his friend's back as he suddenly remembered Lando telling him that his beloved _Millennium Falcon_ hadn't gone unscathed. The ship was now missing her sensor disk. He sighed, drawing a curious glance from Leia.

He smiled at her, shrugging. "Just thinking of the _Falcon_. It's going to cost a pretty credit to fix that sensor dish."

Leia shook her head, but there was only acceptance there, not the usual annoyance at Han's love for his ship.

Han kissed her forehead, and hugged her close again. He continued his scrutiny of the village, thinking that there was something, or rather someone, out of place. He couldn't put his thumb on it, but he had the nagging feeling that it was blatantly obvious.

Leia pulled away and moved over to join Lando and Chewie, probably eager to hear Lando's tale. Han stayed put, having heard it more than once. Han's attention began to wander aimlessly, and soon he found himself thinking of last night.

Last night he, Leia and Luke had shared an empty hut with nothing but three uncomfortable sleeping pallets. And though Leia had slept blissfully the whole night through, Han couldn't say the same. He had spent a good portion of the night awake due to his thoughts… and because of Luke.

Han recalled Luke tossing and turning for hours before finally settling down, or so Han had thought. He'd caught the kid crying twice. The first time, Luke and Han had gone outside to chat, but Luke hadn't really talked much. The second, after Han had been afraid that his close bond with Luke had been all but shattered in his absence, Luke had crumpled into his embrace.

Han considered the kid a brother, and he was very glad that Luke was still willing to come to him like he had so often before the carbonite days. Luke had sobbed until he'd fallen asleep still cradled in his brother's arms.

The poor kid couldn't have slept more than a couple of hours, Han realized, remembering that when he'd awakened Luke was gone.

_Gone._

Han suddenly realized what was missing from the scene before him: Luke.

Han frowned. _Come to think of it,_ _I don't think I've seen him at all today._

Worried, Han ambled around the village, looking for the younger man. The sun was beginning to set now, and Han knew that tomorrow the Alliance would make preparations to leave Endor.

Han looked in each public hut he passed, and stopped at every bridge and walkway in the trees, but each time he came up empty handed. Han stopped at the farthest edge of the village, where nothing lay beyond but untamed forest.

Frustrated, Han leaned against the railing, and just happened to glance down. His breath caught for a moment when he spotted a lone figure dressed in black sitting in a tiny clearing just off the pathway. Luke's back was to the village, but his shoulders seemed relaxed, as if he was lost in thought.

Han found his way to a set of stairs that would take him to the forest floor. He grumbled about having to walk into the center of the village to find the stairs, praying that Luke was still there when he finally arrived.

Han oriented himself once on solid ground, and strolled purposefully in the direction of the small clearing. When he got to the edge of the bushes, Han peeked over… and cursed.

Luke was gone. Han heard a branch snap to his right and followed the noise. He came to a game trail, and spotted Luke's retreating back several meters ahead.

Han paused for a moment, uncertain, and then followed his friend.

_Where are you goin' Luke?_ Han thought, noticing the still fading light, and how far from the Ewok village they now were.

Han frowned at Luke's still retreating form: something wasn't right with the other's gait. It was stiff, and Luke paused every now and again as if to catch his breath.

Han was starting to reconsider if following Luke had been a good plan, wondering if the young Jedi was simply going for a walk. His fears were laid to rest when Luke finally stopped at the edge of a large meadow. Han paused, watching his brother.

Luke stood stock still for the longest time, hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. Then he tentatively stepped from the foliage into the open. Han moved to the spot Luke had vacated, and peered from behind a tree.

Luke was standing a few meters into the clearing, staring at a large blackened spot. Han watched as Luke remained unmoving for a full five minutes before he knelt at the edge of the burnt patch. He gingerly ran his fingers through the ashes left behind by what Han saw had to have been a huge bonfire.

Luke bowed his head, and Han raised an eyebrow.

_Is the kid praying?_ Han saw Luke's shoulders shake in a tell-tale sign. _Ah stang, he's crying again!_

Han couldn't help himself; he stepped into the grass, and went to Luke's side, laying a hand on the younger man's shoulder. Han could now see that the blackened ground was in a large rectangular shape, indicating a pyre, most likely a funeral pyre, judging by the kid's tears.

Han felt a frown crease his forehead. Who had died? As far as Han knew, Luke had gone alone to face Darth Vader and the Emperor. Had someone gone with Luke after all?

"Who was it, Kid?" Han asked gently.

Luke didn't answer at first, and Han didn't press him. The Jedi would speak when he was ready to, Han knew that. Luke finally spoke, but kept his head down.

"Han, can I ask you something?" Luke's voice was low, and hoarse.

"Sure, what do you want to know?"

"Did you ever know your Father?"

Han blinked in surprise. "My father?"

Luke nodded without turning.

"Well, yeah, I knew him." Han said gingerly, wondering where the kid was going with this. "He was never high on my favorite's list, but he was there for a little while."

"What happened to him?"

"Well, he and my mother left me when I was four, so he left a lot to be desired." Han ran a hand over his chin thoughtfully. "Why do you ask?"

Luke deflected the question, whether intentionally, or because his mind seemed preoccupied, Han couldn't say.

"But, did you love him? And… did you…" Luke broke off.

Han took a moment to think about his answer. "I loved him because he was my father, but that is as far as it went, I think, and I _was_ pretty young. He and my mother gave me up for a supposedly better life."

Han squeezed Luke's shoulder briefly. "Luke, why all the parental questions? Who was this fire for?"

Luke's answer was almost too soft to hear. "My father."

Han felt his eyebrows rise to the edge of his hairline. "Uh… your _father_? I thought he was dead, or at least, that's what you told me."

"I thought he was too, until I went to Bespin." Luke said gingerly, and Han could feel in the way Luke tensed under his grip that the kid was waiting to see Han's reaction.

"Bespin?" Han echoed.

He had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach as he started to put the pieces together. While at Bespin, Lando had told him that Darth Vader had set a trap for Luke, using Han and Leia as bait to lure the young Jedi there. And with Vader's well known man-hunt for the famous Rebel, Han had always assumed the Sith Lord just wanted revenge for the first Death Star.

But now… now it made such clarifying sense that Han felt as though he'd been slapped in the face with a hot iron. Before he knew what he was doing, Han jerked his hand back, stepping away from Luke.

Luke finally glanced at Han, and it was with such anguish that Han cursed himself. But Han was frozen with shock, and he barely registered the kid rising to his feet. His face was a mask of hurt, his now wizened blue eyes imploring Han to understand.

Han opened his mouth to respond, but nothing came out, so he shut it again. Luke watched Han for one more second, and then hung his head in shame and moved away. Han didn't notice the Jedi sway unsteadily as he left, and rub his eyes.

Han's mind suddenly kicked into high gear, sorting through this new knowledge Luke had given him. Darth Vader was Luke's father.

_The kid's dad is a monster! How can this be?_

Han felt first anger: anger at the relation, and anger that the Sith had spawned a kid... _Han's kid!_ And then Han berated himself. If he was the byproduct of two selfish humans, and he'd turned out alright, it was dead wrong for him to judge the kid by his parentage.

_The poor kid! It's got to be tearing him up!_

Han blinked as his short-term memory caught up with him. Luke must think Han hated him!

And then, as suddenly as an explosion, an even more disturbing realization hit Han: Leia was Luke's sister. So if Darth Vader was _Luke's_ father…

Han was in motion before that thought finished, his feet running after Luke of their own accord.

"Luke!" Han called. "Hey, wait!"

Luke paused, and in his haste, Han again missed Luke scrubbing at his face.

"I'm sorry, Luke. I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you… I… I was shocked." Han explained. "I don't hate you, Luke. You are not Darth Vader, and you are not responsible for his choices, no more than I am for my father's decisions."

Luke glanced at him, and Han finally noticed Luke's condition when the kid's eyes went blank. And _that_ was when Han noticed that Luke was still wearing his outfit from before going to meet Vader. And now that he was paying closer attention he saw that it was covered in jagged burn marks from head to toe, looking as though the Jedi had been hit by dozens of lightning strikes.

"Hey, are you okay?" Han asked.

"Thanks Han, for understanding." Luke said slowly, he was grimacing now.

Concerned that Luke was not completely there mentally, Han took hold of Luke's arm, and observed that the man was trembling uncontrollably.

"Luke, we need to get you to the med center."

"What?" Luke's blinked furiously, as if to clear his vision, and then he squinted at Han.

"Han, I… why are you standing… in two places?" Luke asked, frowning, clearly not sure if he was going crazy. "And I think my head is spinning."

Luke tried to take a step, and he nearly collapsed into a tangled heap, except that Han still had his elbow, and held him upright. Han slung Luke's arm over his shoulder, and then ran his own limb behind the Jedi to support him, and walked him as quickly as he could back the way they'd come.

Luke was unconscious after five steps.

**00000**

Han and Leia sat beside Luke's bunk as the MD droid worked on their friend, taking tests and running scanners over the young man's prone body. No one spoke, and it seemed that there was a collective breath being held as they waited for a diagnosis.

Leia fidgeted with her long brown tresses, which was still down. Han sat with his arms folded across his chest, trying not to squirm.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the droid turned to them.

"The patient seems to have some decalcification of the bones, and scans indicate this to be the case over the entire skeletal structure. There is also a great deal of tissue and muscle damage."

"What could cause this?" Leia asked fearfully.

"Has the patient complained about double vision, or dizziness?" The droid inquired.

"Yeah, both." Han answered. "He said I was standing in two places at once, and then he told me his head was swirling."

The droid made a note on its datapad, and then looked up at the pair.

"Diagnosis is consistent with severe electrical abuse. Patient seems to have encountered an enormous electrical current, and due to the damage, it was likely a sustained contact."

Leia and Han shared a horrified look.

"What can we do for him?" Leia questioned the droid.

"He needs plenty of rest, and I recommend bacta submersion." The droid responded.

"I remember Luke complaining about being in the bacta tank on Hoth. He hated it." Han said aloud. "Is there any other way?"

"Bacta submersion would be a preferred method. It would generate the best results."

Han looked to Leia.

"How long will he need in the tank?" Leia pressed.

"One standard day."

She took a deep breath. "He won't like it, but do it."

**00000**

A day later, Han was there when they were ready to bring Luke out of the tank. He was surprised to see Luke awake.

When the Jedi spotted his friend through the transparisteel of the tank, he blinked slowly. Han stepped up to the tank and placed his hand on the surface.

"We'll have you out in no time, Kid." Han assured him.

But Han could see in Luke's eyes that he was thinking of something else entirely. Han leaned close.

"It's okay, Luke. I'm never going to abandon you."

Luke's eyes brightened substantially, and he relaxed, just as the medics shooed Han away so they could remove him from the tank.

Han was beside Luke as soon as the medics would permit it, and Leia joined them shortly after.

"Luke, what happened on the Death Star?" Leia asked hesitantly, not sure she wanted to know. "And why does the droid think you were electrocuted?"

"Because I _was_ electrocuted." Luke whispered, cringing at the memory.

"By what?"

"Palpatine."

Han felt his jaw drop at the same time Leia's eyes bugged.

"How is that possible?" Han asked after he found his voice.

"Sith lightning." Luke looked away, his eyes filled with pain at the recollection.

Han took Luke's hand. "Hey, Kid. About earlier, I'm sorry I overreacted. I don't hate or blame you, you know that right?"

Luke met his eyes, and Han was struck by how suddenly clear and intense his gaze was. Luke had aged ten years in two nights.

"I do, Han. Thank you for understanding."

Han clapped Luke gently on the back, aware of his still healing body.

"I'm always here for you, no matter what." Han assured his brother. "I promise."

Luke wrapped Han in a tight embrace, taking Han somewhat by surprise.

"I love you, Brother." Luke whispered.

"I love you too, Little Brother."

Leia had to fight back tears at the rare show of such deep emotion between the two men.


End file.
